LCR has to be one of the simplest and best group games ever made. The letters “LCR” stand for “Left, Centre, Right,” and refer to the letters on the three dice with which the game is played — three of each die’s six faces contain a single pip, while the other three sport an L, a C, or an R respectively.

Players start with three chips each, and on their turn roll the three dice simultaneously. For each L rolled, pass one chip to the player at your left; for each R, pass one chip to the player on your right. For each C, one chip goes into the centre, to the pot. The pips are null, and do not affect the chips’ movement.

And that’s it. The chips move around the table, gradually accumulating in the pot, and the last player to have a chip wins the pot. It couldn’t be simpler.

The secret to this game’s broader appeal, of course, is that hardly anyone actually uses the chips … here in Canada, it is most often played with quarters substituted for the chips, but I have had customers tell me that they have played games with $1 or $2 coins instead. That pot in the centre grows quickly!

So, although this is a game that relies entirely on the random fall of the dice, it is a great deal of fun to play — especially for larger groups of six or more, who differ in ages and gaming skill levels. Games are brisk and reasonably brief, at an average of ten minutes or so. A great game for family reunions!